Wheel chock



C. E. FYFE WHEEL CHOCK April 2l, 1931.

Filed April 19. 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 V M5 Z w l 0MM M Z :M 7-@ 2 i 7 3.5@

Apil 21, 1931 A Q E FYFE 1,801,809

WHEEL CHOGK Filed April 19. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 `Patented pr. 21, 149731' UNITED sr-aras incirca Ycrrnrtllns E. rvrn, or cnnaRHUnsr, NEW YORK WHEEL cHooK YApplication filed April 19,

This invention relates to a wheel chock or device for preventing a car from rolling down an incline, and has for 4its main object and Vfeature the production of `means supported on the car or; vehiclethat can be readily and eiectively brought into play and as readily rendered inactive when t-he occasion for its use no longer exists.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is disclosed in severalA concrete and preferred forms in which F 1 is a sectional view substantially on the plane of'line 1-1 of Fig. 2 through the rear axle of an automobile, and showing one of the wheels thereof together with my improved chock and associated parts in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of arrow 3 of said Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view substantially on the plane of line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view substantially on the plane of line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

VFig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of my improved chock;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of Fig. 6, also partly in section;

Fig. 8 is a view in elevation looking in the direction of arrow 8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the plane of line 9-9 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in side elevation vof the chock shown in Fig. 6, Vbut disclosing the opposite side thereof;

Fig. 11 is arztragmentary top plan view of the left hand end of Fig. 7, showing a 40 modiicatiomand Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view substantially on the plane of line 12-12' ofFig. 11.,

The chock is in effect a cradle and consists here of a main cradle portion l and an auxiliary cradle portion 2 pivotally connected as at 8, each of the cradle portions being provided with a road-gripping bar or blade as 4 or 5. Any convenient or suitable means may be employed to support the chock and to bring it into and out of operation,

1929. Y Serin no. 356,349.

by means of bolts 8. Said bracket is pro? vided with ears 9 in which latter is pivotally carried, at V10, supporting arm 1l to which is attached ina manner to be presently described, the chock. It will be noted from Fig. 8 that pivot 1() is obliquely arrangedv with respect vto the rear aXle and that supporting arm l1 is likewise obliquely arranged so that the latter by turning on its pivot will carry the chock into position adj acent the wheel and roadway or out of the way up under the body of the car. 12 is a spring connected at one end to arm 13 of bracket 6 and at its other end to arm 11, said spring tending to urge arm 11 to carry the chock Vinto position between the wheel and roadway. Normally said spring is restrained from so acting by means of a spring--pressed latch 14, seen `best in Fig. 4, that engages an opening in projection l5 carried by arm l1 when the latter has moved the chock into inactive position. It will be apparent thatthe movement of the chock and o i:l arm 11 may beV controlled from a remote. point such as the dash or instrument panel` by suitable connections. In the drawings I have indicated two connections, one f asto carry the chock into inactive position f and this movement may continue untillatch 14 registersY with the opening in extension 15 when said Vlatch will snap into` position and will thereby prevent spring 12 "from moving the chock into active position until the latch is released. The other'connection 18 is vfor the purpose of controlling the release of the latch, and said connection is attached to bell crank 19 `(Fig. 4) pivoted y at 2O to bracket 6 Vand having an arm 21 that engages latch 14 and by means or" which it isv retracted from engagement with eXtension 15. When the operator therefore pulls on connection 18, latch 14 is retracted and spring 12 acts to bring the chock intoactive position (Fig. l). The connecting means between supporting arm 11 and the chock may vary widely, but as here shown these means take the Jollowing form: carried by auxiliary cradle portion 2 is a guide 22 in which is mounted for up and down and lengthwise movement a bar 2%. Attached to this bar is a yoke 25, carried by arm l1, and interposed between guide 22 and yoke 25 is a spring 2G. 23 is a cotter pin to prevent withdrawal or" bar 24- from guide 22. lt will now be understood that when the operator releases latch la, spring l2 will carry the chock into position shown in Fig. l. Should the car new roll backward it will be apparent that the wheel will more fully engage the cradle and that in so doing (there will be a movement of bar 2l with respect to guide and that spring 26 will be compressed. Likewise main cradle portion l will swing around center 3 so 'that blade #l will engage the roadway lirst and thereafter, upon continued movement of the wheel, blade 5 will engage the roadway. lt will thus be seen that pivot 3, guide 22, bar 2l and spring 2G constitute a yielding con nection that admits or the vehicle moving more intimately into engagement with the cradle after the chock is initially presented between the wheel and roadway. Means are further provided to admit of lateral self-adjustment of the cradle when engaging the road and wheel. As here shown, arm ll is provided with a joint as at 27 consisting of a pin-and-slot connection as shown in Fig. 5, and a spring 28 to maintain the parts in central posit-ion. It will be understood that when the toe oli' the chock enters between the road and the wheel there may be some slight obstruction or irregularity in the roadway and joint 27 will compensate for such irregularity as for want of proper adjustment of the arm. In effect the toe of the chock, when it engages the roadway and wheel, becomes a ulcrum point around which the chock may swing, but the further engagement of the wheel with the chock will then tend to straighten the chock as will be apparent. lf desired, the toe of the chock may, as shown in Figs. ll and l2, carry flanged disks 29 pivotally mounted at 30. ln order to make the device lit dilerent makes of cars, arm 1l may be made in two parts slidably adjustable as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 and removable bolts 3l may be employed to fasten them together. The lmain cradle portion consists here of two side cheeks 32 connected together by means of a toe piece 33, chains 34 and transverse cradle members The auxiliary cradle member consists here of two side cheeks 36, connecting bars 37 and a tra-nsverse cradle member 38. If desired, cooperating stops 39 may be employed on the main and auxiliary cradle portions.

I claim:

l. A wheel chock composed of a main cradle portion and an auxiliary cradle portion pivotally connected to successively engage the wheel and the roadway.

2. The combination with a wheel chock composed of a main cradle portion and an auxiliary cradle portion pivotally connected, of supporting means therefor on the vehicle, movable to present the main cradle portion or the chock between the roadway and a wheel, the action of the wheel thereafter moving the auxiliary cradle portion into engagement with the wheel and roadway.

3. The combination with a main cradle portion of a wheel chock, of supporting means therefor on the vehicle including: an auxiliary cradle portion pivotally connected to the main cradle portion, a guide carried by the auxiliary cradle portion, bar slidably mounted in said guide, an arm connected to the bar, and a spring interposed between the guide and the arm.

Signed at Cedarhurst, in the county oi Nassau, and State of New York, this 10th day of April, 1929.

CHARLES E. FYFE. 

